Orange County Stage 4 Bed Sore Lawyer

Nobody in a nursing home should ever have to go through the pain associated with a serious bed sore. Yet when skilled nursing facilities in Southern California fail to provide appropriate care for seniors who are confined to their beds or to wheelchairs, or who are other immobile, severe bed sore wounds can develop. It is critical to seek advice from an Orange County stage 4 bed sore lawyer who can help you to file a claim for financial compensation.

Bed sores can also be known as pressure ulcers, pressure injuries, and decubitus ulcers. These are injuries that “can happen when a person is bedridden or otherwise immobile, unconscious, or unable to sense pain,” according to Johns Hopkins Medicine. They develop when a person’s skin is under pressure from being confined to a bed or a wheelchair, or when a person is wearing a cast. They are a particularly serious problem among older adults at nursing homes, and as Johns Hopkins Medicine underscores, “they can be related to the quality of care the person receives.” Indeed, “if an immobile or bedridden person is not turned, positioned correctly, and given good nutrition and skin care, bed sores can develop.”

In some cases, even being in the same position for a couple of hours without movement can result in a stage 1 pressure ulcer forming. In an early stage, bedsores only harm the upper layer of a person’s skin, and they can go away without medical intervention within a few days. However, as bed sores worsen and a person who is confined to a position is not moved or shifted appropriately, the bed sore can worsen significantly and can lead to serious and even deadly infections. People who have certain underlying conditions, such as diabetes or circulation problems, are at greater risk of developing bed sores.

Common signs and symptoms of a stage 4 bed sore, according to WebMD, include the following:

• Deep and large sore
• Skin that has turned black
• Signs of infection around the pressure ulcer, such as redness, heat, and pus; and/or
• Visible tendons, muscles, or bone.

Severe bed sores need to be treated by a healthcare provider immediately. Even with proper treatment, once a bed sore has reached stage 4, it can take months and even years for healing to occur.

Was an elderly loved one recently hospitalized with a severe pressure ulcer? Or did you notice a serious wound on your elderly loved one that may be a dangerous bed sore? It is critical to take action to ensure your loved one’s health and safety, as well as to make certain that the nursing home is held accountable for the devastating harm it has caused. One of our experienced Orange County stage 4 bed sore lawyer can speak with you today about filing a nursing home neglect lawsuit in Southern California. Contact the Southern California Nursing Home Law Group to learn more about the services we provide to elderly nursing home residents and their families.